That's why (in my opinion) we need to clear the smoke and knock down every tree that Democrats try to raise in the path of a clear view to the piece of s#it legislation that is the ACA between now and election day.
That is why I am not all that concerned with Ryan's budget deal. A budget fight would have turned attention away from the Obamacare debacle.
The GOP needs to stay on point here.
As a purely strategic matter, I agree that it is preferable for the Republicans to avoid a budget showdown so that they may face the ObamaCare debacle head-on.
That said, I have three suggestions:
1. Republicans should make it clear that they are acquiescing on budgetary matters
only because they lack enough votes to stop the Democrats and more to the point, because ObamaCare is an unfolding disaster of great magnitude, and must be addressed immediately.
2. GOP leaders should stop bickering with conservative organizations and instead offer to convene a national summit on how they can work together to achieve their objectives. Both sides need to compromise. The results of such a meeting ought to constitute a basis for nationalizing the 2014 congressional elections and developing a strategy and a cohesive message to attract more voters to the GOP.
3. Thinking ahead to 2016, the GOP should begin to consider a package of bold government reforms aimed squarely at supporting the interests of the middle class, which the party now represents. These ought to include global tax reform, the elimination of ineffective and counterproductive government programs and departments, and the beginning of a national effort to restore values, virtues, and volunteerism to American life, specifically by helping people rebuild their connections to one another through family, neighborhoods, communities, membership groups, and religious organizations.
